Asbestos vacuum cleaners

Asbestos vacuum cleaners should comply with the requirements of AS 3544-1988 Industrial Vacuum Cleaners for Particulates Hazardous to Health and AS 4260-1997 High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters (HEPA) – Classification, Construction and Performance.

Warning: Household vacuum cleaners must never be used where asbestos is or may be present, even if they have a HEPA filter.

Procedures should be established for the general maintenance of asbestos vacuum cleaners in a controlled environment. They should be cleaned externally with a wet cloth after each task, the hose and attachments should be stored in a labelled impervious bag and a cap should be placed over the opening to the asbestos vacuum cleaner when the attachments are removed.

PPE should be worn whenever an asbestos vacuum cleaner is opened to change the bag or filter or to perform other maintenance.

The emptying of asbestos vacuum cleaners can be hazardous if the correct procedures are not followed. Asbestos vacuum cleaners should only be emptied by a competent person with the correct PPE, in a controlled environment and in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Whenever possible, asbestos vacuum cleaners should not be hired, as they can be difficult to fully decontaminate.

Hiring may be more viable, however, in some instances, such as when a one-off maintenance task is required for an ACM.

Asbestos vacuum cleaners should be hired only from organisations that provide vacuum cleaners specifically for work with asbestos.

The asbestos vacuum cleaner should be decontaminated, as outlined above, before it is returned. Alternatively, the hire organisation may undertake the decontamination and maintenance of the filters and bags of the asbestos vacuum cleaner itself. In these cases, the asbestos vacuum cleaner should be hired out in a sealed storage container, with instructions that it may be removed from the container only when it is inside the asbestos work area and users are wearing appropriate PPE (see section 11.7). When the minor maintenance work is completed the asbestos vacuum cleaner should be re-sealed in the

11.9 Decontamination

The type of decontamination required will depend on the type of asbestos (i.e. friable or non-friable); the work method used (see section 11.5), and site conditions

All contaminated materials, including cleaning rags, plastic sheeting and PPE etc, must be disposed of as asbestos waste.

11.9.1 Workplace decontamination

Any asbestos dust or debris must be collected in a safe manner and the asbestos work area decontaminated, paying attention to all walls, ledges, fittings and furnishings.

Two types of decontamination procedures may be used: wet and dry decontamination:

Wet decontamination, or wet wiping, involves the use of damp rags to wipe down contaminated areas. Cleaning rags should only be used once, although they may be re-folded to expose a clean surface. The rags should be used flat and should not be wadded. If a bucket of water is used, the rags should not be re-wetted in the bucket, as this will

contaminate the water. Care should be taken to avoid any potential electrical hazards when using this procedure.

Dry decontamination should be only used where wet methods are not suitable or pose a risk because of other hazards such as electricity or slipping. Dry decontamination procedures include carefully rolling or folding up and sealing plastic sheeting and/or vacuuming the asbestos work area with an asbestos vacuum cleaner. Large pieces of asbestos debris should be wetted and picked up by hand rather than vacuumed.

Whenever the asbestos work area cannot be decontaminated using either the wet or dry method — for example, if there is rough sawn wood that cannot be fully decontaminated by wet wiping or vacuuming — pigmented polyvinyl acetate (PVA) may be used to seal the contaminated sections of the asbestos work area, including any plant or equipment where practicable.

If extensive contamination has occurred, an asbestos removalist should be engaged to perform the decontamination and clearance monitoring may be required (see section 11.10.2). The relevant State or Territory OHS authority should be contacted regarding any licensing requirements.

11.9.2 Decontamination of equipment and tools

All tools, equipment and reusable respirators used during the maintenance or service task should be dismantled (where appropriate) and decontaminated, using either the wet or dry decontamination procedures described above, before they are removed from the asbestos work area. The method chosen should depend on its practicality and the presence of any electrical hazards.

If tools and equipment cannot be decontaminated in the asbestos work area, or are to be reused at another asbestos work area, they should be tagged to indicate asbestos

contamination and double bagged in asbestos waste bags before being removed from the asbestos work area. This equipment and tools must remain sealed until decontamination or

the commencement of the next asbestos maintenance or service task where the equipment can be taken into the work area and reused under full control conditions.

PPE should be worn when opening the bag to clean or re-use the equipment or tools, and decontamination should only be performed in a controlled environment.

Bags containing asbestos contaminated equipment and tools should be clearly labelled with an appropriate warning statement.

11.9.3 Personal decontamination

Personal decontamination must be undertaken each time workers leave the asbestos work area and at the completion of the asbestos maintenance or service work. Personal

decontamination should be done within the asbestos work area where re-contamination cannot occur.

Asbestos-contaminated PPE should not be transported outside the asbestos work area except for disposal purposes.

Before work clothes and footwear worn during asbestos work are removed from the asbestos work area for any reason, they should be thoroughly vacuumed with an asbestos vacuum cleaner to remove any asbestos fibres (see section 11.8), and the footwear should also be wet wiped.

Respiratory protective equipment should be used until all contaminated disposable coveralls and clothing has been vacuum cleaned and/or removed and bagged for disposal, and personal washing has been completed.

Any PPE used while carrying out asbestos work must not be taken home.

Personal hygiene and careful washing are essential. Particular attention should be paid to the hands, fingernails, face and head.

A competent person may decide, on the basis of a risk assessment, that the following personal decontamination procedure can safely be used:

• First, all visible asbestos dust/residue is removed from protective clothing, using an asbestos vacuum cleaner and/or wet wiping.

• Second, the disposable coveralls are taken off (while still using a respirator), placed in an asbestos waste bag and disposed of as asbestos waste (see section 11.2).

• Third, clothing and footwear worn during the asbestos work should be vacuumed using an asbestos vacuum cleaner, and the footwear should also be wet wiped.